Camera Play

Today's weather: sunny and warming

Today's Activity: Around age two a child can begin to play with a camera. If she is old enough to look through a viewfinder, she is old enough to take pictures. Use a disposable film camera or one of the new durable digitals made especially by kids. Take your child outside and let them point and shoot. You'll be amazed what they come up with. You can help out by pointing out things such as the melting snow in a rushing brook or moss growing on trees. Using a camera helps one better learn to see the world by forcing the photographer to scout out the details. Consider taking the camera with you on a nature walk.

Nature Walk

Today's Weather: warm and sunny 55 degrees, turning cold and rainy

Today's Activity: Take a nature walk and talk about all of the things you see, hear and feel. You can go for a walk in the woods, but walking around your own neighborhood is good too. Teach your child to be aware of the nature around them no matter what the setting

• the shapes of your shadows on the ground
• the feel of the wind on your skin
• the smell of firewood
• clouds moving across the sky
• budding trees
• melting snow (don't forget to squish the slush under your feet!)
• what is growing between the cracks in the sidewalk
• the shapes of seed pods still hanging from the trees at winter's end

Try to walk at least once a week to notice how nature is constantly changing.